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Cluster bomb of new research explodes tobacco industry lies about plain packsThe Conversation, 19 March 2015Simon Chapman, Professor of Public Health, University of Sydney
There is near-universal agreement that Australia’s implementation of tobacco plain packaging in December 2012 has seen the most virulent opposition ever experienced from the global tobacco industry.For more information: See the article

Australian study finds plant amino acid helps ease smoking addiction; could be tested on ice addictsABC News, 16 March 2015
Australian researchers want to trial an amino acid usually found in vegetables on smoking addicts after positive results in a small overseas study.For more information: See the article

Smoking while pregnant increases risk of daughters developing ovarian and breast cancerCanberra Times, 5 March 2015
Women who smoke cigarettes while pregnant are putting their daughters at risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer, according to new research from the Australian National University.For more information: See the article

Call for ACT government to help disadvantaged Canberrans quit smokingCanberra Times, 2 March 2015
The ACT’s peak drug body has called on the territory government to address a disparity in smoking rates among disadvantaged communities after the release of alarming research from the Australian National University.For more information: See the article

Smoking ‘worse than previously thought’: two thirds expected to die earlyCanberra Times, 25 February 2015
Two thirds of Australian smokers will be killed by their habit unless they are able to quit, according to a new study from the Australian National University.For more information: See the article

Smoking ‘epidemic’ likely to kill two our of three Australian smokers: mortality studyABC News, 25 February 2015
Two out of three smokers, or about 1.8 million Australians, will die because of their habit, the first large-scale Australian study on the link between smoking and mortality shows.For more information: See the article

The financial cost of smoking hits harder than academic researchCanberra Times, 24 February 2015
New research into mortality rates for smokers may disturb public health officials, but for many Canberrans it is the sheer cost of smoking that prompts them to break the habit.For more information: See the article

Smoking: new Australian data to die (or live) forThe Conversation, 24 February 2015Simon Chapman, Professor of Public Health, University of Sydney
A new study of deaths from all causes in New South Wales published today in BMC Medicine (open access) reports both some very bad and very good news about smoking.For more information: See the article

More health groups call for e-cigarettes ban despite objections from retailersCanberra Times, 10 February 2015
The Cancer Council and the Australian Medical Association have called for the restricted sale of non-nicotine e-cigarettes and advertising bans consistent with tobacco regulations, despite objections from retailers.For more information: See the article

Health groups calls on the ACT government to ban e-cigarettesCanberra Times, 8 February 2015
Health groups have again called for the ACT to regulate e-cigarettes, as the NSW state government announces plans to ban their sale to minors.For more information: See the article

E-cigarette reform ignites controversy with 242 submissions and accusations of biasCanberra Times, 2 February 2015
The ACT Government has been swamped with submissions from health and industry groups regarding the potential changes to the use and sale of personal vaporisers or e-cigarettes.For more information: See the article

E-cigarettes popular among adolescents, not long-term smokers, Cancer Council warnsABC News, 5 January 2015
Health advocates have warned e-cigarettes are being taken up by young people rather than helping long-term smokers to quit.For more information: See the article

Heart Foundation calls for tough rules on e-cigarettes in the ACTCanberra Times, 28 December 2014
Electronic cigarettes should be banned in smoke-free areas in Canberra and there should be restrictions on the sales of personal vaporisers in the ACT, according to the Heart Foundation.For more information: See the article

Big Tobacco distributes report bullying plain packaging lawsCanberra Times, 27 November 2014
The two biggest tobacco companies in Australia have begun a campaign to undermine the nation’s plain packaging laws, ahead of a Department of Health review of the effectiveness of the regulations.For more information: See the article

Canberrans smoking less, but more likely to engage in risky drinking, new research showsCanberra Times, 25 November 2014
People in the ACT are least likely to smoke daily but compared to the national average, more likely to drink alcohol in risky quantities and exceed risk guidelines, according to new research.For more information: See the article

Cigarettes and junk food dominate supermarket sales growthCanberra Times, 22 November 2014
Australians now spend 10 per cent of the nation’s annual grocery bill on tobacco products, and one in every five dollars spent at supermarkets goes on cigarettes or junk food, according to confidential industry data.For more information: See the article

Health risks of nicotine cast doubt on ‘safer’ e-cigaretteThe Conversation, 19 November 2014Ross MacKenzie, Lecturer in Health Studies, Macquarie UniversityBenjamin Hawkins, Lecturer in Global Health Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineThomas Novotny, Professor of Global Health, San Diego State University
British American Tobacco Australia has lobbied Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration to have electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) classified as a harm-reduction pharmaceutical product. If successful, this would allow media advertising for e-cigarettes similar to that seen for nicotine replacement products.For more information: See the article

Electronic cigarette crackdown considered by ACT GovernmentABC News, 12 November 2014
The ACT Government is considering subjecting the sale and use of electronic cigarettes to the same laws as conventional cigarettes.For more information: See the article

Katy wants your thoughts on vapingCityNews, 12 November 2014
Katy Gallagher has released a discussion paper on the sale and use of personal vaporisers, known as e-cigarettes, in the ACT.For more information: See the article

More smokers support plain packaging, an International Tobacco Control survey showsCanberra Times, 11 November 2014
More smokers are supportive of cigarette plain-packaging laws than against them, marking an important cultural shift, new research reveals.For more information: See the article

ACT Government to release discussion paper on regulating e-cigarette useCanberra Times, 11 November 2014
People under the age of 18 could be banned from buying e-cigarettes, as the ACT Government considers ways to regulate their use and reduce consumer appeal.For more information: See the article

Plain packs help deter young smokers as uptake drops to new lowThe Conversation, 18 July 2014 Becky Freeman, Research Fellow/Lecturer, University of Sydney
The 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey shows real promise that this is occurring, with the percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds who have never smoked increasing to 77% from 72% in 2010. The number of 12- to 17-year-olds who have never smoked held steady at a near universal 95%.For more information: See the article

Plain packet smokes all taste the sameThe Conversation, 16 July 2014 University of Newcastle
Long-term smokers are finding it harder to differentiate between cigarette brands since the introduction of plain packaging, according to a new Australian study.For more information: See the article

Is big tobacco abandoning smokes for e-cigarettes?The Conversation, 9 July 2014 Becky Freeman, Research Fellow/Lecturer, University of Sydney
E-cigarettes. For a product barely anyone had heard of five years ago, they now seem to be on everyone’s lips. While much has been written about the safety of these products and their potential to either support or sabotage efforts to reduce smoking rates, it’s timely to consider why the global tobacco industry has taken such a keen interest in buying e-cigarette companies.For more information: See the article

Australia wins first battle in plain packaging trade disputeCanberra Times, 3 July 2014
Australia has had a victory in the first step of the plain packaging challenge being played out in an international investment tribunal.For more information: See the article

Plain packaging pushes cigarette sales downCanberra Times, 23 June 2014
The federal Treasury has entered the debate over cigarette sales, publishing previously secret information that shows sales falling since the introduction of graphic health warnings and plain packaging.For more information: See the article

Profits, death and disease: big tobacco’s business modelThe Conversation, 20 June 2014 Rob Moodle, Professor of Public Health, University of Melbourne
Lung cancer, a leg amputation, or gasping for air as a result of emphysema are not fun ways of ending one’s life. All are common outcomes of smoking, and if current global patterns of smoking continue – 50% of young men and 10% of young women becoming smokers – one billion people are estimated to die this century. And they will be mainly from low- and middle-income countries.For more information: See the article

Health and Community Leaders Tackle Tobacco and DisadvantageATODA – Under 10% – Media Release, 30 May 2014
“Health and community services are ideal settings and partners in reducing smoking rates in disadvantaged groups and ACT services are leading the charge… 18 services are engaged in the Under 10% Project… These ACT leaders are tackling tobacco and disadvantage by reviewing smoke-free policies, changing their practices to de-normalise smoking, supporting staff to quit and training staff to build their confidence in delivering smoking cessation advice and referrals.”For more information: See the media release

Heart disease on the rise in young peopleCanberra Times, 13 June 2014
The number of young people admitted to hospital with heart disease and stroke has jumped by 30 per cent in the past 10 years, with experts warning obesity and binge smoking are to blame.For more information: See the article

Canberra Hospitals going completely smoke freeCitynews, 3 June 2014
The ACT’s Chief Health Officer has announced the ACT’s hospital campuses will be completely smoke free from September.For more information: See the article

Campaign Launched on World No Tobacco DayAustralian Government, 31 May 2014
The Australian Government has launched a new phase of the National Tobacco Campaign to coincide with World No Tobacco Day.For more information: See the media release

ACT scoops tobacco reform awardCanberra Times, 23 May 2014
The ACT has been recognised for its tough stand on tobacco reform, with the territory winning a national award for efforts to encourage people to butt out.For more information: See the article

Experts warn World Health Organisation to stay strong on e-cigarettesCanberra Times, 16 June 2014
Australian health experts are leading an international attack on e-cigarettes, warning they are increasingly being bought up by tobacco companies and are misleading the public with claims about their safety and efficacy.For more information: See the article

E-Cigarettes: Should we inhale?ABC News, 6 June 2014
Electronic cigarettes. Are they saving the lives of countless smokers across the world? Or are they simply big tobacco’s latest con-job?For more information: See the article

Electronic cigarettes: hope from the hype may harm your healthThe Conversation, 3 June 2014 Simon Chapman, Professor of Public Health, University of Sydney
As usual the Budget papers shed some light on exactly where the ACT Government will take more money out of individual budgets from July 1 in order to shore up its own.For more information: See the article

Doctors urge WHO not to stamp out e-cigarettesCanberra Times, 30 May 2014
The e-cigarette has been pushed centre stage before World No Tobacco Day, as doctors and Policy experts urge the UN’s health agency to embrace the gadget as a life saver.For more information: See the article

Smoke free future for ACT HealthACT Government, 6 June 2014In recognition of World No Tobacco Day held on 31 May 2014, ACT Health Director General Dr Peggy Brown has confirmed support for the upcoming implementation of completely smoke free campuses at Canberra Hospital and Calvary Hospital.For more information: See the article

Cigarettes onto roads Canberra’s leading source of filth City News, 18 April 2014
55.2% of rubbish items in the ACT are cigarette butts.For more information: See the article

Electronic cigarettes: the truth behind the smoke and mirrorsCanberra Times, 27 April 2014
The debate over the health and legal implications of e-cigarette use has divided experts across the world. Local authorities will now need to face up to the issue after e-cigarettes were banned in Western Australia.For more information: See the article

Smokers defy bans at Canberra HospitalCanberra Times, 13 April 2014Canberra Hospital’s smoking bans are being widely flouted, with nearly 600 people on campus cautioned for lighting up in forbidden areas.For more information: See the article

No ifs, no butts, Canberra Hospital to be totally smoke-freeCanberra Times, 6 April 2014Smoking will be banned entirely on Canberra Hospital grounds from September, as the ACT government continues moves to wipe out cigarette use.For more information: See the article

Study of indigenous smokers provides new strategies for quit campaignsCanberra Times, 6 April 2014Celebrity endorsements do little to sell the quit-smoking message to indigenous communities, but researchers have found that examples set by family and friends who stub out have a big impact on those around them.For more information: See the article

England set to follow Australia on plain packagingABC News, 4 April 2014The UK government has moved a significant step closer to the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes. After a report on the issue was released, which drew heavily on the Australian experience, the Health Minister said she was now ‘minded’ to press ahead with the measure in England.For more information: Listen to the podcast

Change in attitude to smoking bans a breath of fresh airThe Courier, 3 April 2014It wasn’t so long ago that increased restrictions on smoking areas would lead to a public outcry. The debate has certainly turned full circle, if this week’s reaction to state government plans to ban smoking from playgrounds and children’s sporting venues is anything to be believed.For more information: See the article

Higher fees, less hours to sell tobacco proposed for ACTCanberra Times, 31 March 2014The ACT Government is considering a big hike in licence fees to sell tobacco, suggesting fees could be doubled or more this year, with substantial increases each year to follow.For more information: See the article

Labor says tobacco laws will surviveSkynews, 30 March 2014Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek says she is confident Indonesia will not defeat the party’s signature plain tobacco packaging rules in a global trade dispute.For more information: See the article

Public smoking bans linked to healthier kidsThe Conversation, 28 March 2014Maastricht University Medical CentreBans on public smoking may lead to drops in childhood asthma and premature births, new research shows.For more information: See the article

Tobacco sales edge up despite plain packagingSydney Morning Herald, 24 March 2014
Deliveries of tobacco to retailers in Australia rose slightly last year for the first time in at least five years, even after the introduction of plain packaging aimed at deterring smokers, according to industry sales figures.For more information: See the article

Senate poll in WA: Scott Ludlam’s hopes may go up in smokeCanberra Times, 24 March 2014The Greens senator’s campaign for re-election in WA has been hit by claims he is actually a social conservative on one important issue to many young people: the legalisation of marijuana and other drugs.For more information: See the article

New smoking link to breast cancer7 News, 19 March 2014Smoking increases the risk of breast cancer in older women by almost a fifth, a study has found.For more information: See the article

Australia gets cigarette butt recycle scheme with TerraCycleCanberra Times, 4 March 2014
For the first time in Australia, cigarette butts will be able to be recycled to become industrial plastic products, including shipping pallets, railway sleepers and even ashtrays.
For more information: See the article

Quitting smoking reduces stress, depression and anxietyThe Conversation, 14 February 2014Fron Jackson-Webb, Section Editor, The ConversationJayashri Kulkarni, Professor of Psychiatry, Monash University
Sharon Lawn, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Flinders University
Quitting smoking is associated with reduced depression and anxiety, and has a similar effect to antidepressant drugs for mood disorders, British researchers have found.
For more information: See the article

No butts about it: cigarettes are pick of the litter in the ACTCanberra Times, 13 February 2014
Compared to the shopping trolleys and pushbikes hauled out of our lakes in their dozens each year, cigarette butts might seem a small problem.
For more information: See the article

US chain CVS stops tobacco sales: over to you, Coles and WoolworthsThe Conversation, 7 February 2014Craig Dalton, Conjoint Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle
The announcement by CVS, one of the largest drug store chains in the United States, that it will cease selling tobacco by October this year will have Coles’ and Woolworths’ public relations in a spin.
For more information: See the article

Indigenous anti-smoking project claims successSBS News, 5 February 2014
A new anti-smoking program for Indigenous Australians highlights the importance of ongoing support and education to be successful.
For more information: See the article

Beyond statistics: the hidden face of smoking-related cancerThe Conversation, 20 January 2014Simon Chapman, Professor (Public Health), University of Sydney
‘(…) but statistics on tobacco deaths have become banal for many. People rationalise that life’s a jungle of risks, that feeling fine or seeing longevity in a smoking relative means that they are bullet-proof, and cling to self-exempting beliefs like air pollution causes most lung cancer or that putting on some weight if they quit is more dangerous than smoking.’For more information: See the article

Bushfire smoke harms the lungs like cigarette smoke The Conversation, 17 January 2014 Elizabeth Cassidy, Editor, The Conversation
Bushfire smoke can damage the lungs in a similar way to smoking-related emphysema, according to a study from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.For more information: See the article

Calls to Quitline soar after plain packaging laws Canberra Times, 14 January 2014
Australia’s world-leading introduction of plain cigarette packaging appears to have triggered a significant spike in callers to Quitline.For more information: See the article

New curriculum reviewer was an education consultant to tobacco giant Phillip MorrisCanberra Times, 12 January 2014The education guru tasked with reforming Australia’s national curriculum by the federal government was previously employed by tobacco firm Phillip Morris to design a school program teaching children about peer pressure and decision making that did not discuss the health dangers of smoking.For more information: See the article

Health Check: how harmful is social smoking? The Conversation, 6 January 2014 Ian Olver, Clinical Professor of Oncology, Cancer Council Australia
‘If you only light up when you’re drinking or out with friends, you probably don’t identify as a smoker or consider the health impact of the occasional fag. Social smokers don’t usually smoke every day but consume a low level of tobacco over a long period.’For more information: See the article

No compo for ex-soldier who smoked to ‘fit in with fellow troops’ Canberra Times, 31 December 2013
A former Australian soldier who claimed he developed lung disease after taking up smoking in the Army to ”fit in” with fellow troops has lost a bid for workers’ compensation.For more information: See the article